But to me, it s a whole lotimportant to find something that makes you unafraid of being alone, rather than to have so many friends that you wind up being terrified of solitude But to me, it s a whole lotimportant to find something that makes you unafraid of being alone,...

I read Kakuta s novel while in Japan with my Japanese wife on an extended stay We actually read it at the same time she in Japanese and me in English The novel offers a compelling double narrative As it traces the struggles of a housewife Sayoko to find a social place where she s accepted and that s satisfying to her, it simultaneously flashes back to the junior high school days of Aoi, a female entrepeneur of the same age These two women eventually meet, and the novel looks at how their I read Kakuta s novel while in Japan with my Japanese wife on an extended stay We actually read it at the same time she in Japanese and me in English The novel offers a compelling double narrative As it traces the struggles of a housewife Sayoko to find a social place where she s accepted and that s satisfying to her, it simultaneously flashes back to the junior high school days of Aoi, a female entrepeneur of the same age These two women eventually meet, and the novel looks at how their current relationship is affected by the failed ...

Japanese literature is just my cup of tea I will need some time to get over the fact that I won t be hearing about Aoi and Sayoko any I grew attached to these women and it is hard to say goodbye.4.5 stars out of 5